Behind Walmart’s New Approach to Corporate Health and Wellness
Building on its “holistic approach to supporting associates and their families,” Walmart Inc. has shared plans for two amenity buildings at its sprawling new home office in Bentonville, Ark. Dan Bartlett, EVP of corporate affairs, offered project details in a company blog post.
The first project, Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness, will span 360,000 square feet, with construction and programming being guided by the principles of Alice L. Walton’s nonprofit Whole Health Institute. It will be home to traditional fitness amenities including three indoor pools, specialized studio spaces and outdoor racquet courts, as well as educational and communal spaces such as a teaching kitchen.
“Whole Health Institute addresses physical, mental, emotional and social factors that affect well-being,” said Walt Cooper, CEO of Whole Health Institute. “The intentional design of Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness brings that vision to life by creating an environment that goes beyond physical fitness to make holistic health achievable.”
A 73,000-square-foot Child Care Center will also be added to the home office campus. The facility will be able to hold up to 500 children from infant to pre-kindergarten and will support Walmart associates throughout Northwest Arkansas.
To fund the projects, the Walton Family Holdings Trust has canceled Walmart common stock owned by the Trust in an amount equal to approximately $225 million. Construction of both facilities is expected to be completed by late 2023.
Walmart first unveiled plans for the new Bentonville home office campus in 2019 and expects to continue opening it in phases through 2024.
The retailer has also furthered its commitment to customer wellness with the recent announcement that Walmart Health will open five health and wellness centers throughout North and Central Florida in the coming months. The centers will provide primary care, X-rays, labs, behavioral health, dental, hearing, optical and more.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores under 48 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
